Letter
to Albanian friends from non-governmental
organisations in Serbia

Dear
friends,

We
are writing to you in these difficult moments of our shared suffering.
Convoys of Albanians and other citizens of Kosovo, among whom many of
you, were forced to leave their homes. The killings and expulsions,
homes destroyed and burnt, bridges, roads and industrial buildings demolished
- paint a somber and painful picture of Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro,
as in indicating that life together is no longer possible. We, however,
believe that it is necessary and possible.

The
better future of citizens of Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro, of Serbs
and Albanians, as citizens of one state or closest neighbors, will not
arrive by itself, or over night. But it is something we can and must
work on together, as we have many times in the past, not so long ago.
We know that it will now be very difficult, and sometimes very painful.
The example of the German-French postwar reconciliation and cooperation
could serve as a model and stimulus.

In
the sake of future life together, the pain of crime has to be revealed
so that it is, with forgiveness,remembered. This tragedy, yours and
ours, personal and collective, is a result of a long series of erroneous
policies of the most radical forces among us and in the international
community. The continuation of these policies will take both Serbs and
Albanians into abyss. Also, the road of collective guilt is a road of
frustration, continuation of hatred and endless vengeance.

That
is why this road has to be abandoned.

Our
first step of distancing from hatred, ethnic conflict and bloody retaliations
is a public expression of our deepest compassion and sincere condemnation
of everything that you and your fellow citizens are experiencing. As
citizens of Serbia, we today suffer destruction and casualties as a
result of NATO bombing, armed conflict in Kosovo and long lasting economic
and social tumbles under the burden of the dictatorship`s deadly policies.

Ethnic
cleansing, NATO bombing and armed conflict should stop because they
are not contributing to the solution of the Kosovo crisis but are only
making it deepen. There should be no more casualties. All refugees should
be allowed to return safely to their homes and live in the manner appropriate
for free and proud people.

We
are convinced that together, we will find strength and courage to step
on the road of peace, democracy, respect of human rights, mutual reconciliation
and respect. Dialogue, political negotiations and peace process have
no alternative. For all of us, it is the only way out of the war conflict.
It is the safest way to secure the return of refugees to their homes,
to renew normal life and activities and find a solution to the status
of Kosovo.

In
order to make this happen, we have to join our efforts to end the war
conflict, revitalize the peace process and reconstruct, economically
and democratically, the development of Kosovo, Serbia and the entire
Balkan region. We are convinced that by joining forces we can contribute
to the reaching of a just and rational political solution to the status
of Kosovo and build confidence and cooperation between Serbs and Albanians.